Hollow tile and brick.



Patented may |4 |901.

o. c. `pmu-:v HOLLOW TILE 0R BRICK.

(Application med Feb. 23, 1901.)

(No Modal.)

UNTTnn STATES Tricia,

PATnivT HOLLOW TILE AND BRICK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 674,097, dated May 14, 1901.

l Application filed February 23, 1901. Serial Nn.48,537. (No modelJ To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ORLA C. PIXLEY, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hollow Tile and Brick, of which the following is a specification.

The hollow tile referred to are those usedl for electrical purposes and are known as underground electrical conduits, and the hollow brick are such as are used for constructing walls, foundations, fire-proofing, &c., and known as hollow building-blocks or hollow tile. As heretofore1nanufactured,these tile have been provided with small round openings extending longitudinally of said tile. These openings are provided for the reception of small cylindrical dowel-pins for the purpose of centering and holding a longitudinal section of said tile in alinement. Metallic dowel-pins have heretofore been employed exclusively for causing the ends of adjacent tile to register properly each with the other, and the openings for the reception 0f these dowel-pins have always been quite small and circular. As a consequence the body of material at the center of the tile, where the partition-walls meet, is considerably greater than that in the partition-walls themselves or in the outer walls, and the shrinkage of the center core or web in drying is sufficient to pull the outer walls inward, causing the same to sag in longitudinal grooves where the partitions meet these outer walls, or, if the outer walls be sufliciently strong to withstand the strain in drying, the partitions themselves are cracked, allowing the core or center web to contract away from the outer walls. These cracks weaken the tile and render them unfit for conduit construction, as their tendency is continually to increase, allowing moisture to enter the ducts and causing rough edges,over which the leadcovered cables are subject to injury While being drawn in. The cracks also destroy the insulation which these partitions are intended to provide between the cables installed in adjacent ducts.

The object of this invention is the production of a hollow tile or brick wherein the defects hereinbefore mentioned are obviated,

also having other advantages which will be mentioned hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of one end of a tile embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a tragmental perspective view showing `the center core of the tile and the dowel-pin opening therein. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said dowel-pin. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the ends ot' two abutting tile, taken ou dotted line 4 4 of Fig. l, showing the dowel-pin in place to hold said tile in alinement.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The tile and brick of my invention are made in a manner similar to that employed in producing like articles that is to say, the plastic material is fed into a forming-machine and is cut into suitable lengths as it issues continuously from said machine. The dies of the machine, however, are arranged to produce tile or brick having a square central dowel-pin opening extending longitudinally throughout their length, and the forming of said opening removes a portion of material at the core sufficient to obviate unequal shrinkage at this point. The shape of this dowelopening` is preferably square, and its side walls have a thickness equal to about onehalf the thickness of thepartition-walls. A vfurther advantage in removing a considerable quantity of material from the center of the tile is in the lessening of its weight without diminishing in any degree the strength of the tile-in fact making the tile stronger by properly distributing the material of which it is composed. y

A is my improved tile, having the partition-walls A' and the central longitudinal rectangular opening A2 extending' throughout the length of said tile. The walls A3, surrounding said central opening, are about one-half the thickness of the partition-walls A'. These dowel pin openings are made square not only for the purpose hereinbefore mentioned, but so that they may receive a square dowel-pin, which will not permit the tile to turn upon their longitudinal axes, thereby insuring alinement of each of the ducts extending through said tile, as well as IOO 2 frz-4,0ms

of the tile themselves. This is quite important when the tile are used as conduits for installing electrical cables. The sides of said rectangular dowel-pin openings lie at an angle with the partition Walls.

A4 is a scarification near the end of each tile. The purpose of the scariication on the tile is to permit a cement joint to be made over the ends of abutting` tile. This joint is usually made by first Wrapping fabric around the joint and later cementing over the fabric, permitting the cement to lap upon the tile. The scarication is placed at such a distance from the end of thel tile as to provide room for the fabric between the scarifications of adjacent tile, leaving said 4scarifieations uncovered to receive the cement.

B is a dowel-pin, square in cross-section, having a tranverse stop-pin B for preventing the dowel-pin from being pushed bodily Within the opening in a tile. This dowel-pin is made to fit quite closely in the dowel-pin opening A2, and therefore tends to preventa rotator-y displacement of the tile. The dowelpin opening is .sufiiciently large to permit the use of wooden dowel pins, which yield or break when subjected to unusual pressure instead of breaking away the ends of the tile, as iron pins do. Furthermore, iron dowel pins invite the destructive work of electrolysis atthe joints, which action is obviated when Woodenpins'are used. v

,'When my improved tile comes green from the forming-machine, it is carefully placed upon a drying-rack of any suitable form, upon which rack it is seasoned preparatoryr to firing.

I claim asmy inventionl. As a new article of manufacture, a hollow tile or conduit-having an opening extending longitudinally thereof at the juncture of the partition-walls of said tile, the Walls surrounding `said opening being thinner tha said partition-Walls.

f 2. As a new articleof manufacture, a hollow tile or conduit having a rectangular dowelpin opening extending longitudinally through said tile, the walls surrounding said opening being thinner than the partition-walls of said tile in order to prevent unequal shrinkage in the tile.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a hollow tile orconduithavingarectangulardowelpin opening extending longitudinally thereof at the point of juncture 0f the partition-Walls of said tile, the Walls surrounding said opening being thinner than said partition-walls.

4L. As a new article of manufacture, a hollow tile or conduit having a rectangular opening extending longitudinally thereof at the point of juncture of the partition-walls of said tile, the walls surrounding said opening being thinner than said partition-Walls, and the sides of said opening being at an angle with said partition-Walls.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a hollow tile or conduit having scariications near one of its ends and at a sufcient distance therefrom to permit said end to be wrapped with fabric in forming a joint, which fabric vshall not cover the scarications.

6. The combination with a series of tile or conduits placed end to end, each of said tile or conduits being provided with a longitudinal opening extending therethrough, which opening is square in cross-section, the walls surrounding said opening being thinner than the partition-walls of said tile, in order to prevent unequal 'shrinkage in the tile ofa dowel-pin conforming to the shape of said longitudinal opening.

7. The combination with a series of tile or conduits placed end to end, each of said tile or conduits being provided with a longitudinal opening extending therethrough, which opening is square in cross-section, also hav ing scarifications at a distance from its end sufficient to permit the wrapping of the joint between said adjacent tile or conduits with fabric so that said fabric shall not cover said searifications, of a plastic covering for said joint adapted to adhere to said scarications, and a dowel-pin conforming to said opening in the tile or conduits.

ORLA C. PIXLEY. Witnesses:

L. L. MILLER, Guo. L. CHINDAHL. 

